Newsletter

Autumn 2000

Welcome to our Autumn 2000 newsletter. We feature Ylang Ylang in this, our fourth issue - the sweet oil distilled from the flowers of a tropical tree.

The YlangYlang tree, cananga odorata, is native to the Phillippines area. In 1860 a sailor named Albertus Schwergen was stranded in Manila. He took a fancy to the aroma of the local flowers, and became the first person to distill Ylang Ylang oil. Now, the world supply of Ylang comes from the Madagascan area. Our oil comes from an organic plantation on the Comoro Island of Mayotte, one of the few remaining French colonies.

There are a number of grades of Ylang produced. When the flowers are distilled, the lightest and brightest oil with a sweet ‘cream soda’ aroma comes off first and is known as Ylang extra. As the batch of flowers is further distilled what is produced has a progressively rougher aroma and grades Ylang I, Ylang II and Ylang III are produced. What we offer is (a) Ylang extra - the most heady, uplifting oil and (b) Ylang complete which is the total distillation (includes all grades,Ylang extra and Ylang I, II and III). Ylang complete is more soporific and would often be the best oil for a relaxing massage.

Ylang Ylang is one of those oils that people either love or hate. It makes a superb bath oil - just 5 or 6 drops required. Ylang Ylang is anti-depressive and sedative, reputedly helpful for people with hypertension, breathlessness or tachycardia. It also may be aphrodisiac, though any oil which helps people to relax without putting them to sleep can have this effect. (Incidently, Patricia Davis writing from observations of patients in her own practice - ref. A to Z of Aromatherapy - considers Jasmin and Sandalwood oils to be the most genuinely aphrodisiac oils.)

Ylang Ylang oil is one of the main ingredients in our Tropical Massage oil where it is accompanied by Nutmeg, Grapefruit and Sandalwood in a sweet almond base.

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